A Summer Evening | Philippe Besson

"There were six of us – five boys and one girl – carefree, frivolous, joyful, in a summer of all possibilities. Why did one of us have to disappear? »

In this icy January, Philippe Besson warms us up with his latest novel. Summer 1980 on the Ile de Ré. Young Philippe is on holiday with family friends. The son introduces him to his friends. In the humidity of summer, the small group of friends lounge on la plage, feast on Melba peaches, drink canned beers and meet holiday sweethearts. Yes, an ordinary summer vacation, like all teenagers experience, you might say. But that's a very poor understanding of Philippe Besson. With him, there is always a grain of sand in the gear. Quickly, we feel that something terrible is lurking. He distils clues here and there. The atmosphere is more and more heavy, under the sun, until the inevitable tragedy.
The author gives us a part of his youth. It is probably the most intimate of his novels, short but so effective.

Inspired by a true story, Philippe Besson recounts a tragedy from his youth, which occurred on the Ile de Ré one evening in July, in the mid-80s.